Almost Final Update for 2023 Raven 100k Challenge

As of 12/4/23 at 6:19pm there are 71 raven 100k challenge participants reporting their distance results to date.

  • UPDATE: 61 of our participants have entered enough distance to qualify for a challenge woodallion to date!
  • If you end the month of November lower than the cutoff (aka under the 100k mark) unfortunately you will not qualify for a 100k challenge finisher woodallion 🙁 So…. get moving and get those K’s reported ASAP! We know you’ve done them!
  • The cutoff for submissions is Monday 12/4. The table below shows what will be sent to the custom laser engraving company on 12/5 (including distances and badges earned!).
  • We need to get our custom woodallion engraver (Raven Tree Works) the data to print the name and distance customized woodallions — plus the custom badges — so we can get the woodallions to the 100k challenge finishers in a timely manner.

Anyone registered who reaches 100k or higher walking, hiking, or running in November gets a custom Raven Challenge Woodallion suitable for display — and even suitable to hang on holiday decorations!

FINAL TALLY will be made 12/4/23 with the badge claims and distances you and other challenge participants have reported.

If you need the link to claim your badges, click here.

If you have new badges to claim, you can submit the form as many times as needed and we will “super score” your badge claims (i.e. once you claim a badge you don’t need to claim it again on a subsequent form submission — but it doesn’t hurt to claim it again if you can’t remember!).

2023 Last Caw!

Get your badge submissions in — and your distances in BY 12/4!

Let us know if you are having trouble getting anything to us and we will help!

  • If you completed the 2023 Raven 100k Challenge and have NOT posted your results yet to https://runsignup.com/ravenrocks/results you won’t receive a finisher woodallion!
    • Missing your woodallion after all that work would be a tragedy worthy of an Edgar Allen Poe work.
    • Submit your results now!

Thanks!

2023 Raven Rocks Recap

Hello Raven Runners!

Last Sunday was a chilly day to start, with frost on the ground at 6am as your volunteers arrived for the race day setup. Luckily it was sunny and that took the edge off as the sun got higher in the sky. Plus the roaring fire pit helped keep the chill at bay until race start.

Raven Rocks 2023 Results

We had 246 runners finish on Sunday – backed by a team of around 40 race volunteers including registration and t-shirt table help, kitchen/food setup, course checkers, timing volunteers, photographers, the utility team, and more. We also could not have put on the race without the help of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation staff — and their fearless leader, Jeff Main. We want to thank the County of Westchester Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation for hosting us at the park. The Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps came to the race to be on standby to help in case of injury.

The race supports the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Participants are given the opportunity to join the friends group during registration, and nearly 90 of you took advantage. [You can STILL JOIN the friends group via this link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Donate/NY/CrossRiver/RavenRocksRun] Membership is at any dollar level. The most popular level is the $100 “Wood Turtle” level which gets the member a year long parking pass for the Rez. We raised over $5,600 for the friends group through the membership program on the registration website this year. Thank you Raven Runners, Hikers, and Walkers!

Musical Guests

We also had the two-man band of Casey Stanford (Guitar) and Layne Krulik (Drums) rocking mile 5.5 at Pell Hill in the meadow. Runners heard Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and many other rockin’ tunes as they headed downhill towards the finish around 3/4 mile away. Casey and Layne are 6th graders at John Jay Middle School. Thanks for braving the cold morning – and thanks to their roadies for getting them there! We hope they will come back for a return engagement in the spring and fall!

The Pell Hill Band: Casey Stanford (Guitar) and Layne Krulik (Drums)

Cobweb Crew

The Cobweb Crew – early morning volunteers! Many pre-ran the 10k course – and some of these folks also were sweeps.

The Cobweb Crew is a group of runners that go out well before the race and run the course to check that the markings are still there and everything is set for the race. We are confident in our trail course setting ability, but the whims of four legged (and two legged) creatures can lead to unexpected new paths. So we rely on the cobweb crew for this vital service which helps to keep all raven runners and hikers on course.

Race Highlights

The race had two repeat winners this year: Lindsay Felling (50:36) and Eamonn Sullivan (45:01). Both runners set new Raven Rocks course records! It was Lindsay’s 4th overall win at Raven Rocks and Eamonn’s second win.

The youngest finishers were a pair of 8-year olds running the race for the first time: Christian Piddington and Wyatt Nable.

The two youngest runners (8 years old each) running along the Raven Rocks trail overlooking the Stone River Ravine in Pound Ridge (Runners are Christian Piddington (8), Julie Piddington, Wyatt Nable (8), and David Nable. (photo by Carl van der Zandt)

All in all a very fun and energetic Sunday. Thank you to all who came, ran, helped, and watched. A great day all around!

….Rob

Photo Gallery for 2023 (and prior years!)

We have a group of volunteer photographers (thank you Carol, Griffin, Carl, and Justin!) who came out to the race to help document the event. Their 2023 photos are available on our permanent gallery website here: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2023

Links to prior years photos (2015-2023) is at this link: https://ravenrocksrun.org/photos/

Lastly – if you have photos YOU’D like to share (and be able to find years later!) post them to the 2023 runner’s upload album gallery using this link: https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/upload/hQzcqM/2023

Some selected photos from 2023:

2023 Raven 100k Challenge Status Update

There are 66 raven 100k challenge participants reporting their distance results to date.

  • UPDATE: 40 of these participants have entered enough distance to qualify for a challenge woodallion to date.
  • If you end the month of November lower than the cutoff (aka under the 100k mark) unfortunately you will not qualify for a 100k challenge finisher woodallion 🙁 So…. get moving and get those K’s reported ASAP! We know you’ve done them!
  • The cutoff for submissions is Monday 12/4. The table below shows what will be sent to the custom laser engraving company on 12/5 (including distances and badges earned!).
  • We need to get our custom woodallion engraver (Raven Tree Works) the data to print the name and distance customized woodallions — plus the custom badges — so we can get the woodallions to the 100k challenge finishers in a timely manner.

Anyone registered who reaches 100k or higher walking, hiking, or running in November gets a custom Raven Challenge Woodallion suitable for display — and even suitable to hang on holiday decorations!

FINAL TALLY will be made 12/4/23 with the badge claims and distances you and other challenge participants have reported.

If you need the link to claim your badges, click here. If you have new badges to claim, you can submit the form as many times as needed and we will “super score” your badge claims (i.e. once you claim a badge you don’t need to claim it again on a subsequent form submission — but it doesn’t hurt to claim it again if you can’t remember!).

2023 Pre-race Speech

[These were the prepared remarks for the pre-race announcements for 2023. I shortened them a bit for the runners sake due to the cold temps. Here is the unshortened version for your warm inside reading pleasure.]

This and many other photos are at https://leathermansloop.smugmug.com/Raven-Rocks-Run/2023

Thank you for coming to the 8th annual Raven Rocks Run! Welcome to Ward Pound Ridge Reservation! Before we get going onto the course, I have a few items to cover briefly. I am Rob Cummings, race director for the Raven Rocks Run.

No birthdays today??? How about yesterday? Tomorrow?

89 (!!) runners joined Friends of Trailside Museum as members – over $5,600 raised. You can still sign up through at the race website’s Friends of Trailside Museum link for 2024 membership.

IMPORTANT — LAYERS. If you have layers on now and you get to the campground (about 1 mile in) and you want to leave your outer layer, we will have volunteers collecting them in bins and returning them to the finish area for you to pick up at the end of your race.

Start taking your layers off at the sand hill. We will be waiting at the bottom of the meadow to collect them.

THE COURSE. The course carries hazards. The leaves can hide some obstacles like roots and rocks. Tread carefully. The course has dried out over the past few days but there are still some muddy spots. 

We did some course “grooming” over the past two weeks. Much of it seems to have survived. But rocks, leaves, roots, and other hazards are always a natural part of the trail. Take care and take those rocky downhills slowly. The uphills you can go fast on.

Course markings are pink flags, pink ribbon. Pre-run by Lee, Peeter, Jacob, Scott, Alix, Greg, Steve, Madie, Brett, and other Sunday Runners. I am quite sure they scared the coyotes and bears away. 

SWEEPS. Sweeps will be following along behind the runners. If you can’t continue, stay on the course and the sweeps will catch up to you and send for help if you need it. They have cell phones, sweep maps, and LVAC contact info. 

After runners finish we will have awards near the tent. Please stick around — you may go home with a prize! 

THANK YOUS…. PAST BIB #1s – ALL BUT ONE ARE HERE?

  • 2015 — Ciorsdan thank you for helping with the whole event. Always #1 in my heart. I love you babe! 
  • 2016 — Tony and Judy Godino â€“ hiking the course today? Reverse direction? 
  • 2017 — Charlie Vaccaro. Mr. Trail Mix – up from Florida for this event. 
  • 2018 — My parents John and Patricia Cummings â€“ could not be here today but cheering you all on from their home!
  • 2019 — Lee Willett – SundayRuns.org keeper of the maps, the compass, and the plan.
  • 2021 — Jeff Main, superintendant of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. Without his guidance and support, the race does not happen. Jeff is a quiet leader and has a deep history with this park and the Westchester County Park system. 
  • 2022 – Ed Dee, who won Raven Rocks Run 2021. An always-enthusiastic regular in the sunday runner crew. Ed loves the trails. 
  • 2023 — Eamonn Sullivan, won this race last year. He keeps getting faster!

THE Trail Mix race directors: Eric, David, Brant, Megan, and Nancy. (Almost all races in series represented here?). Each year it keeps getting better — I will update the Trail Mix website with the 2023 results. If you don’t know what the Trail Mix Series is, check out trailmixseries.org.

Youngest Registered Runners:

  • M – Wyatt Nable & Christian Piddington (8)
  • F – Julia Scheffler (16)

Highly experienced Runners:

  • M – Ed Moore, John Kiselak, Murray Rosenblith, James McEvoy. 
  • F – Patricia Richards

Leatherman’s Loop – returns in 2024 — For the 36th year — on April 28, 2024. Big Things Planned! Loop Lottery is January 5th-8th – check leathermansloop.org for details.

Final Thank Yous & Acknowledgments: 

  • Tony and Judy GodinoEl Copadre & Comadre “the godfather and godmother” of the East Coast trail racing scene. I wouldn’t be here without their work and enthusiasm. If you look at the roots of the eastern trail races, many trace their roots back to their events from the 1980s. 
  • Sunday Runners, many are volunteers here. Thanks for keeping the trails well traveled!
  • Parks department â€“ Jeff, Chase, Mike, Michael, Jake, Bobby, and the rest of the crew who are so supportive of what we do. 
  • Tom Cohn â€“ THE driving force behind the newly energized “bring back the fire tower” effort. Big supporter of this race and runners. 
  • Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation â€“ Thank for your support of the Museum and Park! 
  • Cecilia Soprano â€“ amichiart.com â€“ designed the t-shirt. And she designed the 2018-2022 shirts as well as all of the Run the Farm shirts since 2014. 
  • LVAC â€“ Volunteers all of them. What a great group of community members. They will take care of you if you should need it. Hopefully you meet them after you have crossed the finish line and are having a bagel & coffee.
  • PRVFD â€“ All volunteers as well. If you get into trouble on the course they are ready to help.
  • Race volunteers â€“ CORAL COLORED t-shirts – thanks to them we get to have a race!

OK, now for the start!   (JIM – is the timer ready?)

Introduce Todd Henrich – Pinhoti 100 mile trail race finisher last week (in Alabama) who will do the starting honors and give me 30 seconds to get into position at about 100 meters downfield to photograph this magnificent crowd.

—Ready, Set, Go! ………. And they’re off! 

[2023 Raven Rocks Run results are here]

2023 Raven Rocks photo collection is here ADD YOUR PHOTOS to the mix via this link!

2023 Results Posted

We have posted the 2023 results here: https://ravenrocksrun.org/results/2023-results/.

Thanks runners for making this a great day and thanks to our volunteers for pitching in and making it happen.

We are working on a recap of the day and have started to get photos and video organized and uploaded. Check back at this page later on for the recap link — and refresh the 2023 photos link to see more as we upload.

Our photographers do a great job! Today Carol, Carl, and Rob took photos and video — plus thanks to all of the runners who will be submitting photos – thank you in advance! (<–hint: upload yours to this album!)

Raven Rocks 2023 Set for Tomorrow!

Click or press image to go to registration page.

The Raven Rocks Run is set to go tomorrow at 9am. See our Logistics Note for advice on getting to the park and getting oriented once you arrive.

Race organizers will be at the park and on the trails today doing the final prep work and fine tuning the course for our Sunday morning start.

Register

There is Last Minute Online Registration available until this evening if you are deciding late to run – sign up now and make tomorrow morning easier for yourself!

THERE WILL BE SAME DAY REGISTRATION AT THE PARK TOMORROW! If you haven’t signed up yet but want to run – come early. Day of race registration opens at 7:30am.

Note: if you are running tomorrow and want to have an extra layer for the start but then want to peel it off (after that first big hill when you are warmed up!), we will have volunteers at Michigan Road (1 mile into the course, up the first big hill) who can collect your outer layers in a bin and will return them to the finish line area near the tent and fire put for you to pick up after you finish.

The course is the same as 2022 — barring any downed trees overnight! It is already “lightly marked” and the full and final marking will take place today.

There is a water stop at the 4 mile mark at the top of the Fire Tower climb (the highest spot on the course).

See you on the trails!

….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the Raven Volunteers

Submit 2023 Raven 100k Challenge Results

Two submissions needed for the 100k Challenge – first for your runs, second for your badges.

  1. Visit https://runsignup.com/ravenrocks/results and submit your distance results as soon as you complete the day’s run, walk, or hike(s).
  2. Submit your badge achievements/photos/other claims here: https://ravenrocksrun.org/raven-100k-challenge-badge-submission-form/you should use this form more than once to update us. If you submit more than once we will “superscore” to keep track of ALL of your badge achievements.

If you are in the challenge, join the Raven 100k November Challenge Strava Group!

Let us know if you have questions – ravenrocksrun@gmail.com.

2023 Logistics Note

To: Everyone who is registered for (or may be thinking of registering for) the 2023 Raven Rocks Run:

Raven 2023 Shirt Art and Runner Cotton Shirt Color

The EIGHTH annual Raven Rocks Run is set to go at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation on Sunday, November 12th, 2023.

(The Raven 100k November Challenge is already underway! More info. You can still sign up for the challenge!)

Race director Rob Cummings, his lovely wife Ciorsdan along with the dedicated raven volunteers have been working hard to set up this year’s event.

Registration link is here if you have any more folks to sign up (or you want to pass this on to a friend!): https://runsignup.com/RavenRocks

Not sure if you registered or want to check if a friend is registered? Click here:
https://runsignup.com/Race/RegistrationLookup/?raceId=25402

Here are some tips that will help you on race morning:

1.) ARRIVE EARLY! The race is set to start at 9am. Bib pickup (and shirt pickup if ordered) begins at 7am on race morning. Look for the tent in the Meadow Parking lot. Please plan to arrive at the park by 8:15am — or even earlier if you can swing it.

The regular $10 park entry fee is already incorporated as part of the Raven Rocks entry fee so there is no need to stop and pay at the entry booth. Park employees will direct you on parking as you arrive. 

If the main meadow lot should fill up, we may need to use our backup lot near the entrance to the park. This would mean about 1/4 mile walk for runners arriving late. Another good reason to be early!

2.) DRIVE SLOWLY in the Park! Pay close attention to the staff and volunteers who are directing the parking. Car pool if you can – this helps the environment – and it makes the race more fun! For a helpful overview of the race location (parking, start, bib pickup), check the logistics page of the website here.

3.) LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO PRE-RACE ANNOUNCEMENTS! Your Race Director will have important information about the course and safety. You will be instructed about potential hazards on the course and current course conditions. 

4.) LISTEN FOR THE START! Following the instructions, we will start the runners.

5.) STAY ON COURSE IF YOU CAN’T CONTINUE! There will be a number of “sweeps” running the course following the slower runners. If for any reason you can’t continue, wait for them to get to you to assess your needs. The park is over 4,300 acres so don’t leave the course unless you know exactly where you are going.

6.) SAME DAY REGISTRATION – If we hit the cap before next weekend, we will not have this available. Online registration is open! 😉 If you or a friend are looking to run the race, sign up ASAP before we reach the cap! 

7.) RESULTS: Printed lists of finishers with time and place will be available soon after the finish at the registration area and online later in the afternoon on the Raven Rocks Run website. Check it out at http://www.ravenrocksrun.org/results.

8.) THANK A VOLUNTEER! A tremendous amount of volunteer effort goes into making Raven Rocks a special event. T-shirt designers, registration volunteers, pie buyers, course setters, trail wardens, box lifters, water servers, bagel cutters, coffee brewers, parking coordinators, photographers, videographers, course sweeps, and the clean-up crew—not to mention the Pound Ridge, Lewisboro, and Westchester County Police officers and the dedicated members of the Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps!

If you want to volunteer, please reach out to us at ravenrocksrun@gmail.com. Thank you!

We are grateful that we have such a wonderful group of trail running enthusiasts (YOU!) to share this run with. We are also thankful that we have the thousands of acres of parkland at the Rez to enjoy!

Many runners have become members of the Friends of Trailside Museum and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation group during registration – We thank you for joining! This group, which many of you are now members of, is one of the oldest “Friends” groups in the country and it is powered solely by memberships and volunteers.

Remember, leave only footprints, take only pictures, and please send us your photos via upload!

Expect more news shared on Facebook, Twitter, via email, and our website as the event nears…. See you at the race! 

Good luck and have fun,

….Rob, Ciorsdan, and the rest of the Raven Rocks Run Volunteers!


 
PS: Some useful links…

• Map and Directions to the Reservation
• Map of the Raven Rocks Run course
• Follow Raven Rocks on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ravenrocksrun
• Follow Raven Rocks on Instagram: http://instagram.com/ravenrocksrun
• Searchable list of registered runners
• Run on the trails on Sundays all year round!

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Raven Rocks Run is the last race in a series of trail races called The Trail Mix. The Trail Mix will resume in 2024!

2024 Trail Mix races plan*:

In addition, we support and attend many other local trail (and a few road) races. Send us some of your favorites for 2024!

(Note: this went out as an email to all registered runners for the 2023 Raven Rocks Run, the 2023 Raven 100k Challenge, as well as past registrants. If you did not receive this via email and you are registered, you may want to check your spam folder and set up ravenrocksrun@gmail.com on your address book/white list. If you have not yet registered and you plan to run – sign up now!)